Farmers affected due to Centre's demonetisation drive: CPM

Lashing out at the Centre over the killing of farmers in Madhya Pradesh's Mandsaur yesterday, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM) claimed that the farmers were most affected by the Centre's demonetisation drive.

"The small farmers are protesting in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. The farmers are affected most by the demonetisation drive. This is the reason day by day, the farmers are committing suicide or protesting in both the states," CPM leader Fuad Halim told ANI.

Yesterday, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan ordered a judicial inquiry into the matter.

Meanwhile, the death toll in the violent Mandsaur farmers protest has climbed to five.

Appealing for peace to the agitating farmers in the state, Chief Minister Chouhan announced a compensation of Rs. 1 crore to the kin of those killed and Rs. 5 lakh for those injured in the Mandsaur violence.

Several others were injured in the firing by security forces yesterday, as farmers intensified their agitation demanding fair price and loan waiver.

Internet services in Mandsaur, Ratlam and Ujjain remain suspended following the farmers' protests, and a curfew has also reportedly been imposed.

The farmers in the central state are demanding remunerative prices for their produce and a loan waiver. They are also demanding that they should be given Rs. 50 per litre of milk bought from them as they spend Rs. 37 per litre.

The killing of the farmers came hours after Mandsaur collector Swatantra Kumar Singh claimed all was well in the district and that the situation was under control.